By Abbas Nazil
Seven children were killed in central Gaza on Sunday while waiting in line for water, prompting a strong response from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which called on Israel to urgently review its rules of engagement.
The deadly airstrike, which also killed four other civilians, occurred at a water distribution point amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli military later stated that the strike had intended to target a terrorist but was misdirected due to a “technical error.”
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed deep sorrow and outrage, emphasizing that this was not an isolated incident.
Just days earlier, several other women and children had been killed while queuing for food. Russell urged Israeli authorities to uphold international humanitarian law and prioritize the protection of civilians, especially children.
“The Israeli authorities must urgently review the rules of engagement,” she said in a public statement. “Children must never be targets.”
The deaths come amid worsening conditions across Gaza, where over 2.1 million people face food and water insecurity.
UNICEF reports that child malnutrition is on the rise, with over 5,800 children diagnosed in June alone. Of these, more than 1,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition—a life-threatening condition.
This marks the fourth consecutive month of increasing malnutrition cases, further underscoring the urgency of the crisis.
Despite massive humanitarian needs, aid remains critically restricted. UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, stated that “truckloads of food and medical supplies” remain stranded just outside Gaza.
One UNRWA health worker noted that cases of malnutrition previously seen only in textbooks are now a daily reality in clinics.
The agency appealed for the immediate lifting of the siege to allow aid agencies to do their lifesaving work.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) echoed those concerns, calling for Israel to allow large-scale humanitarian access through all possible routes.
The office also reported the recent killing of a doctor, highlighting the constant threat faced by health workers as Gaza’s medical infrastructure teeters on collapse.
Adding to the humanitarian strain, displacement continues to soar. On Friday, more than 70,000 people in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood were ordered to evacuate.
Today, over 86 percent of Gaza’s territory is either under Israeli displacement orders or falls within militarized zones.
Meanwhile, violence is escalating in the occupied West Bank. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned that the annexation of Palestinian land is “well underway,” calling the ongoing destruction and forced displacement a clear violation of international law.
More than 700 settler attacks have been reported so far in 2025, affecting over 200 communities, with Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron among the hardest hit.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank worsens, UNICEF and other UN agencies continue to press for urgent action to protect civilians and restore safe access to essential services.
